THE FUTILITY OF TRYING TO PLEASE GOD APART FROM CHRIST:

I used to stress over all that I needed to do to please God. I’ve even stressed over all that I needed to not do in order to please God. I long struggled to live a life that would give God pleasure, and it was truly a roller-coaster ride. So when I failed to do what I thought would please Him (Romans 7), I questioned if I was saved at all! What a miserable experience it was for me, for a Christian who was supposedly assured that I could not be removed from God’s hand. I examined my life and found it to be lacking whatever necessary to please God.

I saw my salvation in light of the stringent set of laws given by God. I thought, “If I can’t obey them, then I must not please God. And if I am not pleasing God, then I must not be saved.” How could I possibly meet God’s heavy demands when my life is plagued by sins of commission (things that I did that are forbidden) and sins of omission (things that I did not do that I should have done)?

I would finally realize that I would never please God on my own, or “in the flesh”, as the Bible puts it. Apart from Christ I can do nothing. Sure, I can dress and eat and sleep and work apart from Christ…but it was in this phrase “Apart from Me, you can do nothing” that I found hope as a Christian man struggling to please God. Finally, I have assurance that I DO please God, but only by and through Jesus Christ! John recorded Jesus’ words in John 15 that apart from Him we will bear no fruit of salvation that pleases God.

Watchman Nee puts it this way: “If I try to please God ‘in the flesh’, then immediately I place myself under the Law. I broke the Law; the Law pronounced the death sentence…but it is Christ who works in me what is well-pleasing to God.” (“The Normal Christian Life” pp.164-165). A drowning man will fight for his life and possibly even drown his rescuer. But “a drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the slightest effort to save himself” (ibid, p.168).

What truly brings God pleasure is the glory that Jesus Christ brings Him. I share in glorifying God when it is Jesus Christ doing the glorifying on my behalf.


Have you noticed any efforts in your own life to please God, not because you enjoy living a life that pleases Him, but because you felt the obligation to do so for the sake of your salvation?

"66 LOVE LETTERS", by Dr. Larry Crabb

All I can say is “phenomenal!” What a fantastic idea this book was. If you’ve ever read Thomas A’Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ” and liked the conversational format, then you’ll probably like this book as well.

Imagine you’ve just received a letter from your beloved and you were able to have a conversation with him/her about the letter. Your beloved allows you to react honestly and openly without being offended as you reveal your skepticism, anger, fear, and excitement. Your beloved then responds to you about your responses and whether or not your emotions are warranted. Maybe you don’t see something the way your beloved does and s/he desires to explain it.

This is exactly how Dr. Crabb formatted “66 Love Letters.” Each book in the bible is treated as it’s own, separate love letter from God to humanity, hence the book’s title. Dr. Crabb introduces each love letter with a short phrase that summarizes the main thrust of the letter. For instance, in “Love Letter Twenty-Five: Lamentations”, Dr. Crabb writes the following subheading which serves as the main idea: “Painful Thirst Creates Joyful Hope.”

Within the body of the conversation, Dr. Crabb writes his honest reflections about the letter and then listens to God’s response. Each chapters includes “bantering” back and forth between Dr. Crabb and God, and each chapter is only 2-4 pages long.

Somewhere in each dialogue, Dr. Crabb includes a longer summary statement about the love letter, all as part of the conversation. There’s no confusion about what is the summary statement: it’s written in bold type. Continuing with the Lamentations example, he writes, “Every moment of suffering represents a strident but merciful call to repent. And every moment of suffering presents a painful opportunity to hope” (p.128).

If you can’t already tell, I really like this book. Here are some specifics:

1) “66 Love Letters” in an inspiration to read the bible more frequently and in a more reflective way. Each reflection affords invaluable insight into the book’s ideas that may typically be out of sight of the average bible reader. This allows for a more insightful reading of the biblical book.

2) As is the case in non-fiction books, authors always have tidbits they believe will be insightful for their readers. In this book, we are in a sense intruding on a private conversation and are stealing those tidbits from the dialogue between Dr. Crabb and God. In essence, though, those tidbits are intended for us.

3) Dr. Crabb stressed at the beginning of the book that “66 Love Letters” is designed to be a study tool, not something a reader should read through in a few sittings. He hopes each reader will use this in conjunction with careful bible study.

4) Finally, Dr. Crabb hopes readers will reflect carefully on each book and take away from it what the Spirit of God prompts in the reader. He admits his reflections are his and may not be ours.

What I disliked: Honestly, nothing!

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